In its transition to The CW, Supergirl has upped its game by introducing quite a few new characters. We discovered in the season premiere that the pod which crashed on Earth in last year's finale held Mon-El (Chris Wood), an alien from Daxam with abilities much like Kara. The series then also got a push in the romance department with Alex Danvers' new girlfriend Detective Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima). Not to mention, the reveal of M'gann M'orzz a.k.a. Miss Martian (Sharon Leal), who returned to Mars last episode in search of other White Martians and fight to oppose her race's savage legacy.
Yet no new character has gotten as little screen time this season, perhaps, as Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). The CEO of L-Corp (formerly LuthorCorp) and adoptive kid sister of Superman rival Lex Luthor, Lena first appeared in the season 2 premiere as a newcomer to National City intent on restoring her family name. In the five episodes she's been onscreen, though her story is likely far from over, so far she's been a great friend to Kara, even against her own mother. However, the Kara and Lena relationship will again be put to the test in Monday's new episode, "Luthors."
When Lena's mother Lillian Luthor escapes from prison this week, all evidence points to her daughter being involved in the breakout, but Kara is the only one who refuses to believe that her new friend isn't good. Star Melissa Benoist recently explained the upcoming situation to EW:
“Kara is at odds with a lot of people — everyone basically. It’s a smart story point to constantly keep people guessing about Lena, what her motives are and what she really wants. She’s a Luthor, so can you ever really trust someone who was raised in that environment? I’ve always appreciated how Kara has given her the benefit of the doubt and trusts her because Lena has proven herself more than once that she wants to make the world a better place and she doesn’t want to subscribe to her family’s narrative.”
It remains to be seen whether Kara's faith in her new friend will ultimately be justified, but so far Lena's proven time and again that she's interested in using her company to help people. Still, Lena also has a darker streak that shows she's not above doing what she thinks is best. So far, that has coincided with the greater good, but one has to wonder what might happen if that changes. For instance, if Lena decides her mother shouldn't be in prison, it wouldn't be out of character for her to orchestrate a breakout.
Lena has also gotten upset at Kara and Supergirl when she feels she's being challenged. It's also entirely possible that Lena will grow tired of the accusations that come with being a Luthor and instead give in to her family's legacy. Much like Clark Kent and Lex Luthor's evolving friendship in The WB's Smallville, the connection between Kara and Lena could end up declining over time due to secrets, hurt feelings and animosity. Or maybe, all the red herrings this season will turn out to be just that, and Lena isn't like any of her adoptive after all. Only time will tell.
Source: EW